New Evidence Links US Marines to Deadly Haditha Shooting

Mon Nov 17 2025 04:59:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A BBC investigation reveals new findings implicating two US Marines in the 2005 Haditha killings of 24 Iraqi civilians, raising questions about accountability and justice for war crimes.

The shooting of a family in Haditha, Iraq, in 2005, which led to the deaths of 24 civilians, is back in the spotlight as new evidence emerges connecting two Marines to the massacre. Survivor Safa Younes, the only member of her family to survive, echoes the horror of that day and demands justice, lamenting the lack of accountability despite ongoing investigations into the case.

The tragic events of 19 November 2005, when US Marines stormed a home in Haditha, Iraq, leaving Safa Younes as the sole survivor among her family members, remain etched in the memory of those affected. As bullet holes still scar the door of her childhood home, Safa reflects on the day when her parents and siblings were brutally killed.

A recent investigation by the BBC has uncovered compelling evidence that implicates two Marines in the shooting of Safa's family during what is now infamous as the Haditha massacre. This incident, which saw the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians, triggered a long and complicated investigation into alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Iraq.

Initially, the Marines claimed they were responding to gunfire after a roadside bomb exploded, killing one of their men. However, accounts from Safa and previously unpublished investigative details suggest harsher realities than those portrayed by the military. Despite years of scrutiny, none of the Marines involved faced substantial accountability for their actions.

The evidence reviewed highlighted inconsistencies in testimony from the involved Marines, particularly relating to the presence of women and children in the households they invaded. According to forensic expert Michael Maloney, recent developments—including shifts in the narratives from Marines—strongly indicate culpability in the deaths of innocents.

Safa, now a 33-year-old mother, describes her loss: “I was the only survivor out of my entire family. It’s as if it happened last year. I still think about it,” she shares, emphasizing the emotional toll of her family’s slaughter.

In response to the newly surfaced information, the US Marine Corps has maintained its commitment to thorough investigations but stated that reopening the Haditha case would require substantial new evidence. Meanwhile, Safa’s call for justice remains urgent, as she states unequivocally: “I want those who did this to be held accountable.”